HR0448 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0448 LRB094 12404 CSA 46694 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Illinois Commerce Commission issued an order in April of 2005 establishing an "overlay" of a new area code to supplement the telephone number supply in Illinois' 618 area code; the new code is 730; and

WHEREAS, The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) currently requires 11-digit dialing when an overlay area code is implemented; and

WHEREAS, The FCC's 11-digit dialing mandate is a needless inconvenience for residential and business consumers; and

WHEREAS, Residents in the 618 region would be able to continue dialing 7 digits for all local calls if the FCC were to change its policy on mandatory 11-digit dialing in an overlay situation; and

WHEREAS, The FCC's mandatory 11-digit dialing policy could soon affect all the residents of Illinois, as the phone industry claims that every area code in the State will be out of phone numbers by 2007; and

WHEREAS, On December 29, 2001, the FCC reversed its long-standing opposition to wireless-only overlays, signaling that the agency is potentially reconsidering its area code policies; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Federal Communications Commission to grant a permanent waiver of the 11-digit dialing mandate for the 618 region and to change its policy on overlay area codes; and be it further

RESOLVED, That new area codes should not be implemented in the 618 region until 50 percent of the available telephone numbers in the existing 618 area code are assigned to consumers; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Chairman of the FCC, the Chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission, and each member of the Illinois congressional delegation.